Romanian-born writer, poet, and singer Maria-Cristina Necula takes readers behind the glamour of grand opera with this candid look at life in the opera world, interviewing such performers and producers as Plácido Domingo, James Levine, Peter Gelb, Catherine Heiser, Joseph Volpe, Renée Fleming, Ramón Vargas, and 22 others. They frankly discuss topics from the earliest sparks of passion for opera to the exploration of their voices, from their devotion to their art to taking on the responsibility of protecting and nurturing this art form. Necula also recounts her own journey through the opera world, and the unconventional and at times amusing path where she met and came to know the stars of the lyric world.